ABA Family Legal Guide

The Rights of Older Americans

Social Security and Supplemental Security Income

Supplemental Security Income

I think my elderly father is eligible for supplemental security income (SSI), but he is much too ill and confused to visit an office or complete an application. How can he receive benefits?

If you know someone who should be receiving SSI benefits but can't apply for him- or herself, you can do it for that person. However, you will still need to bring all the information described above. To deal with this problem, you may also want to designate a representative payee (representative payees are discussed on page 640).